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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: capital · saw · nail · wake · stock · lie · face · pit

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stock — shares
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. face — to confront
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. saw — the tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. capital — a city
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wake — a trail
  16. capital — money
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com